


Reflections of a Beast: Prologue

by Owl_songs



Category: Labyrinth (1986)
Genre: Ambiguous/Open Ending, Fairy Tale Elements, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-07-15
Updated: 2009-07-15
Packaged: 2017-12-21 14:27:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 408
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/901349
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Owl_songs/pseuds/Owl_songs
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ludo takes the time to reflect on the nature of his relationship with Sarah. Post-film.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Reflections of a Beast: Prologue

"…and Beauty and her Beast lived happily ever after." The pages of the hardbound book, faded yellow-brown with age, slowly closed. The hazel-green eyes of the young woman who had delivered the tale to the ears of her rapt listeners glanced up, smiling warmly. "The end."

"There's a story like that Underground, too." Came the rough, low voice of one of her companions sitting across from her on the bed. The girl's eyes lit up, landing on a dwarf leaning carefully against a bedpost.

"Really?"

"I believe my honored friend is right," a small fox dressed in all the medieval finery of a knight added. The eyes shifted to him as he spoke. "Why, I remember when I was a kit, my mother used to tell me such tales. That one was her favorite."

The last of the four, a large hairy brown creature, spoke up. "END GOOOD."

"Yes, Ludo. It does…" were the last words to tumble from the young woman's lips as her eyes drifted shut. The odd trio, dwarf, knight, and beast, watched while her breathing evened out and Sarah Williams, Defeater of the Labyrinth, was lost to unconsciousness.

"I think that's our cue," the dwarf said.

"Yes, Sir Hoggle, I think you are correct. It is long past the thirteenth hour."

"SARAH FRIEND."

"Verily, Sir Ludo. And I am certain we will meet up with my lady again, but now it is time for our departure. My liege was very clear in his instructions."

"An' I'm not one to try Jareth's patience twice in one day. After you, Didymus."

"I thank thee, Sir Hoggle." The fox hopped down from the bed and up onto the white vanity that stood against the wall, then, with an air of years of practice, stepped right through the mirror. He was followed closely by the dwarf, who instead of walking directly into it, was sort of sucked in. The creature lingered, lumbering closer to the sleeping figure of the girl.

"Sarah," he mumbled, his tongue fumbling clumsily in a mouth not shaped for human speech. His thoughts were more complicated than most tended to believe, more profound, but he had never in his life been able to properly express them. Now, one thought took priority over all others. It was hardly qualified to be a proper thought, more like a note scrawled along the corner of his mind.

_What if Beauty didn't fall in love with the Beast? ___

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: Recognize it? It's probably not mine.
> 
> Original Author's Note: No, I did not originally intend this to be a romance. I don't really think it has to be. Ludo is NOT in love with Sarah, not really. He sees certain similarities between the Americanized tale of Beauty and the Beast (not the French original), and his own adventures with Sarah. He deduces that this means there was a possibility of romance between Sarah and himself, and has realized that something has gone wrong if they were meant to be together. After all, Sarah's in love with Jareth, isn't she? Maybe Ludo sees that, even before Sarah does herself. And who knows? Perhaps Ludo is an enchanted prince. :D
> 
> In any case, the bottom line is this: this story is what you, the reader, make of it. Forbidden love, befuddled friend, evil plotting dust bunnies--it's your choice. Choose wisely.
> 
> Please review!
> 
> Addendum: This story and several others were uploaded on fanfiction.net several years ago. I've been mostly inactive for a while now, but since I'm thinking of resuming writing within fandom, I'm transferring my work here, as I think I'll be using AO3 to post fics in the future.


End file.
